Thursday, March 31, 2011

So here is the inspiration board for our living room. Half of the things we already own (the not as colorful half) and the other half are purchases that will be made in the next little bit. And no, that is not the shape of our couch, the color yes, but this couch has this awesome retro car looking style that I wouldn't mind working with.

Right now our living room is too dark, thanks to the lack of windows and natural light. So, what we are adding to our current set up is the white console table, gorgeous fabrics for the pillows, some colored vases and a couple coats of yellow paint to a tray I already own. Top it off with some white curtains and add dark pink trim to tie in with the pillow fabrics and we are ready to go.

My husband always approves of the designs I run past him, it's just the money to be spent that he always asks me about. My most recent favorite husband decorating moment was when he saw me looking at fabric for the pillows and said, "Our pillows are already covered" and then I explain how we need brighter pillow covers in order to welcome spring into our home. He doesn't get it, but always shakes his head in agreement and says, "oh, right. I get it." I am a very lucky girl.

and a pink lumbar pillow whose fabric I have yet to find. Love how the pink and the yellow pull from the floral pillow. Tying florals and patterns together by pulling out matching colors makes the look flow together without looking too matchy matchy.

Happy note: My husband and I are off to Ikea tonight to grab the pillow inserts for my project as well as a bigger surprise purchase that we will be tweaking. I'll show you all when it is complete or at least assembled and halfway decorated.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I spotted this gorgeous duvet at West Elm a bit ago, but the price wasn't exactly in my range. So, after a bit of Googling I found that Living on the Chic had a DIY and I immediately went to town.

After a quick run to Walmart for two white flat queen sized sheets and one full for my pillow cases I got going. I followed Living on the Chic directions exactly and used the Martha Stewart trick on how to make the pintucks.

I pushed out all the furniture, vaccuumed the floor and got to pinning. Living on the Chic used a sewing machine, but I did mine by hand. Either works. Once I marked where I wanted my pintucks to go I only spent about 3 hours doing the actual stitching. It flew by thanks to the hours of design shows on Hulu.

End result. . .

Before

After

(My apologies for the poor quality pic. Blame it on the night light and my old camera)

I made my duvet for a full and I found out that I could have just used full flat sheets instead of the queen's that I purchased. I just cut off the extra length after I sewed the flat back and the pintucked front together. Easy fix.

It turned out perfectly and when I hop into bed I do pretend I am being hugged by a puffy white cloud.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Thanks to Abbe at Studio Ten 25 I won a giveaway to her stylish shop ShopTen 25. It took me almost a whole month to decide which piece I wanted most, but I finally decided on the plastic moulded rocking chair, we're lacking in seating at our house.

As I waited for it to arrive I began to doubt my decision. It would be too tiny, I'd heard other people say only a munchkin could sit in it. I then began telling my husband to not expect anything amazing so that he wouldn't make fun of it when it came out the size of a barbie dollhouse chair.

However, a week later this guy was waiting for my man and I when we got home from work.

My husband loves this design stuff now. He offered to cut the last taped side of the box and immediately grabbed the chair from my hands and asked for the tool kit so he could put it together.

In no time we had an assembled chair and and within seconds I was in love. It wasn't too small, it's comfy and it fits our apartment perfectly, a normal sized puffy chair would have been too big for the space. I'm also so grateful to have some white furniture in this very black family/dining room. The pictures do not do it justice. I need a new camera.

Now all I need are some light colored floral fabrics to change out my pillow covers. Spring is here and my apartment doesn't look like it. How gorgeous is a colorful pillow going to look in that chair?!